New Jersey Fatigued Truck Driver Accident Attorney

truck driver sleeping due to fatigue

Everyone is aware of the dangers of drowsy driving. The danger posed by fatigued truck drivers is especially great because these individuals drive much larger, heavier vehicles than the rest of us and because they are on the road for many more hours at a stretch than other drivers. If you have suffered a serious or catastrophic injury in a fatigued truck driver accident in New Jersey, you need more than expert medical attention — you need first-rate legal advice from Nagel Rice LLP

How Nagel Rice Can Help You Win Just Compensation in a Fatigued Truck Driver Accident

We have spent the last 35 years winning damages for innocent victims of all types of personal injury due to negligence of other parties, including those who, like you, have been harmed by fatigued truck drivers who have drifted off, or even fallen into a deep sleep, while moving at high speed. Our highly capable, caring attorneys are well-prepared to protect your right to substantial compensation by:

  • Communicating directly with opposing attorneys and insurance companies
  • Filing all necessary documents in a timely manner
  • Investigating the site of your accident and taking relevant photographs
  • Examining police records and medical reports
  • Investigating the prior history of the truck driver and the trucking company
  • Interviewing witnesses of the accident
  • Consulting with experts in medical or automotive fields who may testify on your behalf
  • Keeping you apprised of any important developments in your case
  • Using our negotiation and litigation skills to fight for you in and out of the courtroom

You can have confidence in our proven ability. Just check out the outstanding credentials of our law team, our track record of multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts, and the testimonials of our grateful clients. Because we know that now, while you are unable to work, your medical bills are probably mounting at an alarming rate, we will not charge you any attorneys’ fees until we win you damages.

Why is fatigued truck driving so common?

Although fatigued or drowsy driving is all too common on our roads in general, truck drivers have a particularly disturbing record of this type of negligence. Unfortunately, it seems to come with the trucking industry which, in spite of hair-raising statistics and government regulations, has not taken appropriate, consistent precautions.

There are a number of reasons that drowsy driving is more common among truck drivers than among other people behind the wheel, including:

  • Truck drivers often do not get enough sleep because of their very long shifts
  • Truck driver sleep disorders frequently go undiagnosed 
  • Too many truck drivers take medication or illegal drugs to help them stay awake which end up backfiring and leaving them more exhausted
  • Truck drivers who drink alcohol to relax after long shifts may interrupt their sleep patterns even if they are not driving while impaired
  • Many truck drivers work night shifts which interfere with their normal Circadian rhythms

While we all know that falling asleep at the wheel can precipitate a tragedy, studies by the CDC have shown that sleepiness and extreme fatigue, even if one does not actually fall asleep, can result in:

  • Paying less attention to the road
  • Slower reaction time if the drive has to brake or steer suddenly
  • Impaired decision-making power
  • Impaired vision caused by eye spasms, dry and irritated eyes.

In spite of the fact that there are warning signs people are too tired to drive — e.g. yawning, missing an exit, drifting into the next lane, hitting a rumble strip — truck drivers may be more tempted than other people to ignore them since their job requires them to reach their destination quickly.

Injuries You May Have Suffered in a Fatigued Truck Driver Accident

Because commercial trucks, especially tractor-trailers, can weigh 25 times as much as typical cars, the injuries suffered by drivers and passengers of cars can be much more severe than those suffered by truck drivers themselves. (Nonetheless, truckers account for more traffic fatalities than those who work in any other occupation.)

If you have had the misfortune to be hurt in a fatigued truck driver accident, you may have suffered one or more of the following injuries:

  • Spinal cord injury
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Amputation of a limb
  • Crush injury affecting bones, muscles, or organs
  • Compound fractures
  • Loss of vision or hearing
  • Severe burns
  • Damage to, or loss of, an organ

If you have gone through the physical and emotional trauma of being incapacitated, temporarily or permanently, due to a fatigued truck driver’s negligence or the negligence of the employing trucking company, Nagel Rice’s experienced truck accident attorneys are here to help. We are also available to provide strong, supportive legal counsel if your family has suffered the unspeakable tragedy of losing a loved one in this type of collision.

Damages We Will Fight Hard To Win

Nagel Rice will help you file a claim for any and all of the following compensatory damages:

  • Medical and rehabilitation costs
  • Lost income, present and future
  • Pain and suffering
  • Psychological counseling
  • Permanent disability
  • Permanent scarring or other disfigurement
  • Loss of consortium
  • Extended nursing care
  • Final medical costs, funeral costs, loss of financial and emotional support (in cases of wrongful death)

If your accident involved extreme recklessness or criminal behavior we may also be able to win you punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded to punish the defendant and to deter others from engaging in similar egregious conduct.

Contact Our Fatigued Truck Driver Accident Attorney Today

If you have been seriously injured in a fatigued truck driver accident in New Jersey, why not contact us for a free consultation? We will take the time to review the circumstances of your accident and determine whether we believe you have a winnable case. Once we are convinced that you do, we will fight long and hard to win you damages. 

Having worked in this field for decades, we know how overwhelmed you are and we will fight aggressively to try to ensure you some measure of justice and to provide you and your family with the secure future you deserve. 

Nagel Rice LLP helps their clients with their fatigued truck driver accident claims throughout New Jersey including Bergen County, Essex County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris County, Passaic County, and Sussex County.